Hosting basics / 4 min read
Shared, cloud, or dedicated?
Match your project to the right kind of hosting before you compare plans, from managed websites to self-managed servers.
Start with the workload, not the discount
A portfolio, WordPress site, API, and background worker need different environments. Write down your runtime, database, storage, traffic pattern, and who will maintain the system. A low introductory rate is not useful if the plan cannot run your application.
Shared hosting: let the host handle the server
Shared hosting suits many content sites and small business websites. The provider manages the underlying server, while you manage your site and plugins. Confirm supported runtimes, resource limits, email, backup retention, and the renewal price. Shared hosting is not a substitute for an unrestricted server.
Managed cloud: focus on deployments
An application platform can build and deploy from a repository, expose services, and connect to databases. Check how it handles persistent files, background jobs, cold starts, and secrets. Estimate compute, database, storage, bandwidth, and build costs together; a base plan is not always the total bill.
VPS and dedicated: control comes with responsibility
A VPS gives you an isolated virtual server; a dedicated machine gives you physical resources. Unless management is explicitly included, you are responsible for OS updates, firewall rules, monitoring, incident response, and tested backups. Choose this route when you need control and have the skills or support to operate it.
Before you commit
Check data-center location, migration options, export procedures, cancellation terms, support hours, and uptime commitments. Start with a representative workload, observe it, and upgrade based on measurements rather than guesses.